Paint can holder



April 9, 1957 H- BROADBELT PAINT CAN HOLDER Filed July 29. 1953 2,788,153 ,I AINT CAN HOLDER Herbert L. Broadbelt, Upper Darby, Pa. Application July 29, 1953, Serial No. 371,056

6 Claims. Cl. 220-90 This invention relates to a can holder and has for an object the provision of a handle which may be readily and easily attached to a can to hold the same securely for ease in utilization of the contents. 1 a

The present invention is particularly applicable to paint cans of the pint and quart sizes characterized by an inwardly projecting rim or flange having a rolled inner edge providing a groove within which a lid may be tightly pressed. The rim of the open can is grasped by an outwardly extending metal strip, a hook-shaped end of which bears against the top of the rim and extends around and under and in clamping relation with the rolled edge of the flange. A handle is attached to, and extends down from the outwardly extending strip and is generally parallel to the side of the can. t

In accordance with further features of theinvention,

' there are combined with the can holder brush-supporting extensions which may also be used to pry off the. lid and to wipe excess paint from the brush.

For further objects and advantages of the invention, reference is to be had to the following descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: The can holder as a holder is shown in perspective in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the can holder; and also illustrates a two-piece construction; 1

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, of the can holder applied to a paint can; I

Fig. 4 is a developed view of the can-gripping end of the supporting member; and Fig. 5 is ,a fractional plan view of the encircling end of the supporting member.

Referring to the drawings, the invention in one form has been shown as applied to a paint can havinga lid 11 which may be readily removed by a projecting end 12a of a. single piece member, a horizontal portion 12b thereof forming a supporting member which at one end terminates in a hook 12c which, it willbe observed, has its free end disposedsomewhat behind the, projection formedby the rolled edjgejltlb of the peripheral flange 1t la ofthe can 1 0, and which in partially encircling relation contacts the inner portion of the flange projection as well as the outer rim of the can. The construction of the hook 120 is of the essence of thepresent invention. It must either be of gradually decreasing width as shown in Figs. 4 andS, or it must not be wider than will permit its insertion beneath and behind the rolled edge. 1% of the peripheral flange 10a of, the can 10. The shape of the" hook'rza'must besuch that there is a frictional, wiping, oiiclai'ripin'g" engagement with the peripheral flange'itla'fi. 'elfthe'hooleshaped end does not yield or flex, which assures rigid, positive and adequate attachment of supporting member 12b to the can 10. More particularly, the return portion of the hook-shaped end is bent toward the extending portion which overlies the rim of the can. Thus the return portion is shaped for partial encirclement of the flange of the can when the nited States Patento F Patented Apr. 9, 1957 extending portion is pressed against the rim of the can and in the position illustrated in Fig. 3. The separation distance between the opposed portions of the hookshaped end in relation to the thickness of the flange, top to bottom, provides the frictional wiping or clamping engagement.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the wedge-shaped or tapered end of the hook-shaped portion best serves the purpose of the invention. The narrower tip end can be moved beneath the rolled peripheral flange of thecan, the width of the tip end being insufficient for its side edges to engage the flangeas an arc across the circular part of such flange. However, the width of the hook-shaped portion at the point where it is curved about the inner edge of the flange is sufliciently great that it does contact at its edges the inner'and upper edge of the flange, and-the continuing increasing width at the upper rim of the can provides further stability and support against rotation of the can about-a horizontal axis extending from left toright through the center of gravity 18. Thus, while the hook-shaped end'seems quite small and incapable of providing the lateral stability and support for the can10, due to the foregoing features, support and stability are present and the user is given a full sense of confidence inthe can support due to the lack of play, looseness and tendency of the can to move in any direction after application of the can support to the peripheral flange 10a. The degree to which this is accomplished is quite surprising and a secure support is provided forthe handle portion 14 which may be made of plastic, wood, or the like, extending downwardly from a supporting member 12b in a direction generally parallel with and in knuckle-clearing spaced relation to the side of can 10. The handle 14, of the pistol-grip type, may be secured to supporting member 12b by any suitable means, such for example as'by a screw 15.

I PreferablyKthe supporting member 12b has a downwardlyextending portion 12dinse rtab l e into a slot provided in the handle 14 to provide additional strength between the supporting member 12b and the handle 14.

The handle and supporting member thus far described may be constructed and used without the addition of the further features now to be described. However, and further in accordance with the invention, the supporting member 12b may be formed from a fairly wide piece of metal from the central portion of which the hook-end 12c is struck. The remaining portion of the wider length of material may then be bent upwardly and forwardly above the hook-portion to form a notched paint brush support He. In the same manner the downturned end 12d may be struck from. the same wider piece of metal with the rim portion turned upwardly to form the projecting end 120. This preferably terminates in a notch 12 which cooperates with the notch in He to support a paint brush 17 as shown in Fig. 3. The forwardly extending lip or brush-supporting surface 12a may also be used to wipeexcess paint from the brush 17 as shown by the broken-line illustration of the brush.

Itwill be observed with the handle attached'to the can as shown in Fig. 3 that the center of gravity at 18 of the can acts downwardly and thus, when the handle 14 is'held by the hand as shown in Fig.1, gravity'acts in a direction to rotate the-can toward the handle 14. Such rotation is prevented by the engagement of the rim of the can with the wide; portionof supporting member 12b. The weight of the can acts in a direction to maintain the frictional and interlocking relation between the hookshaped end of the supporting member 12b and the inwardly projecting rolled flange or rim of the can 10. This feature adds further stability to the arrangement.

While a preferred modification of the invention has been described, it is to be understood, of course, that further modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: t

l. A can holder comprising a supporting member having a hook-shaped end, the hook portion being bent back upon itself for disposition behind a peripheral flange of a can, the return portion of said hook-shaped end being bent toward said extending portion thereof for partial encirclement of the flange of the can when said extending portion is pressed against the rim of the can, the separation distance between opposed portions of the hookshaped end providing frictional engagement with the flange of the can to form a stable support for the can for holding it and moving it about solely through manipulation of said supporting member, said supporting member extending outwardly of and away from the rim of the can, a handle secured to said supporting member in spaced relation from said hook-shaped end and extending downwardly in the same direction as said'hookshaped end, said remaining portion of said supporting member being formed from a somewhat wider piece of metal than is required for the supporting member itself, an extension struck from the wider piece of metal and extending downwardly into interlocking engagement with said handle, other portions of said wider member being bent upwardly and away from said handle.

2. A can holder for flanged cans comprising a supporting member having one end of an extending portion thereof bent back upon itself in a hook-shape for disposition behind a peripheral flange of a can, said hookshaped end being smoothly curved through more than one hundred and eighty degrees for nesting relation of the leading edge back of the flange of the can and spaced from the wall of the can, said hook-shaped end being characterized by non-yielding rigidity with a separation distance between opposed faces approximating that of said flange for frictionally gripping the surface of said flange after insertion of said leading edge back of said flange and upon rotation of said hook-shaped end to a position where the supporting member engages the rim of the can to form a stable support for holding the can and moving it about, said supporting member having a hand-gripping means spaced away from the wall of the can.

3. A can holder comprising a supporting member having a hook-shaped end, said hook-shaped end being smoothly curved through more than one hundred and eighty degrees for nesting relation of the leading edge back of the flange of the can and spaced from the wall of the can, said hook-shaped end being characterized by non-yielding rigidity with a separation distance between opposed faces approximating that of said flange for frictionally gripping the surface of said flange after insertion of said edge back of said flange and upon rotation of said hook-shaped end to a position where the supporting member engages the rim of the can to form a stable support for holding the can and moving it about, and a handle secured to said supporting member in spaced relation from said hook-shaped end and extending downwardly in the same direction as said hook-shaped end.

4. A can holder comprising a supporting member having a hook-shaped end, said hook-shaped end being smoothly curved through more than one hundred and eighty degrees for nesting relation of the leading edge back of the flange of the can and spaced from the wall of the can, said hook-shaped end being characterized by non-yielding rigidity with a separation distance between opposed faces approximating that of said flange for insertion of said edge back of said flange and for frictionally gripping the surface of said flange upon rotation of said hook-shaped end to a position where the supporting member engages the rim of the can to form a stable support for holding the can and moving it about, a handle secured to said supporting member in spaced relation from said hook-shaped end and extending downwardly in the same direction as said hook-shaped end, said remaining portion of said supporting member being formed from a somewhat wider piece of metal than is required for the supporting member itself, and an extension struck from the wider piece of metal and extending downwardly into interlocking engagement with said handle, other portions of said wider member being bent upwardly and away from said handle.

5. A holder for cans of the flanged type comprising a supporting member having an end portion smoothly curved through an arc exceeding one hundred and eighty degrees to form a hook-shaped locking end for, disposition rearwardly of and partly behind the flange of the can, the curvature of said end providing a separation distance between the opposed faces approximately that of the width of the flange of the can for insertion of the leading edge of the hook-shaped end behind said flange with said supporting member extending upwardly and for frictionally gripping said flange as the supporting member is rotated to position where it extend-s outwardly from the side wall of the can, said supporting member and said hook-shaped end being of metal and of a thickness providing resistance to flexing during said frictional gripping of said flange and having a handle portion by means of which the can may be moved about while frictionally held by said opposed surface, and said hookshaped end being characterized by a gradually decreasing width from the widest portion in the region of the rim of the can to the narrowest portion back of said flange.

6. A holder for cans of the flanged type comprising a supporting member having an end portion smoothly curved through an arc exceeding one hundred and eighty degrees to form a hook-shaped locking end for disposition rearwardly of and partly behind the flange of the can, the curvature of said end providing a separation distance between the opposed faces approximately that of the width of the flange of the can for insertion of the leading edge of the hook-shaped end behind said flange with said supporting member extending upwardly and for frictionally gripping said flange as the supporting member is rotated to position where it extends outwardly from the side wall of the can, said supporting member and said hook-shaped end being of metal and of a thickness providing resistance to flexing during said frictional gripping of said flange and having a handle portion by means of which the can may be moved about while frictionally held by said opposed surfaces, said hook-shaped end being characterized by a width greater in the region which engages the rim of the can than that part of said hook-shaped end disposed for encirclement of the flange of the can, and a handle secured to said supporting member and extending downwardly generally parallel to the side of the can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

